Surface functionalization of polyurethane scaffolds mimicking the myocardial microenvironment to support cardiac primitive cells

PLoS One. 2018 Jul 6;13(7):e0199896. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199896. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Scaffolds populated with human cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) represent a therapeutic opportunity for heart regeneration after myocardial infarction. In this work, square-grid scaffolds are prepared by melt-extrusion additive manufacturing from a polyurethane (PU), further subjected to plasma treatment for acrylic acid surface grafting/polymerization and finally grafted with laminin-1 (PU-LN1) or gelatin (PU-G) by carbodiimide chemistry. LN1 is a cardiac niche extracellular matrix component and plays a key role in heart formation during embryogenesis, while G is a low-cost cell-adhesion protein, here used as a control functionalizing molecule. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows nitrogen percentage increase after functionalization. O1s and C1s core-level spectra and static contact angle measurements show changes associated with successful functionalization. ELISA assay confirms LN1 surface grafting. PU-G and PU-LN1 scaffolds both improve CPC adhesion, but LN1 functionalization is superior in promoting proliferation, protection from apoptosis and expression of differentiation markers for cardiomyocytes, endothelial and smooth muscle cells. PU-LN1 and PU scaffolds are biodegraded into non-cytotoxic residues. Scaffolds subcutaneously implanted in mice evoke weak inflammation and integrate with the host tissue, evidencing a significant blood vessel density around the scaffolds. PU-LN1 scaffolds show their superiority in driving CPC behavior, evidencing their promising role in myocardial regenerative medicine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomimetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Female
  • Guided Tissue Regeneration / methods*
  • Heart Atria / cytology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Materials Testing
  • Mice
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardium
  • Polyurethanes / chemistry*
  • Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Stem Cells / physiology
  • Tissue Engineering*
  • Tissue Scaffolds*

Substances

  • Polyurethanes

Grants and funding

This work was entirely supported by MIUR-FIRB 2010 Future in Research (grant # RBFR10L0GK to VC). PM acknowledges funding from the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund (CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000492 “Unveiling the molecular determinants of aging to design new therapeutics - MAGNET”).